The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has requested the Prosecutor General's Office to raise charges against former Defense Minister Major General (retd) Moosa Ali Jaleel in relation to the MMPRC graft.
Maldives Media and PR Corporation (MMPRC) had mediated the leasing of several islands and lagoons for tourism purposes. The official audit report into the scandal revealed that millions in state funds had been embezzled through the state tourism promotion company. The now-dissolved Asset Recovery Commission named 114 people in its report as recipients of the MMPRC corruption funds. These include former and current members of parliament, former and current government officials, judges, and senior officials of the security services.
While Moosa Ali Jaleel has been named a recipient of corruption funds, ACC has said that the money received by Moosa Ali Jaleel through former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor from the lease of islands and lagoons for tourism purposes was criminally obtained.
"The investigation has found that the money was obtained by Moosa Ali Jaleel under suspicious circumstances based on reasonable cause and was deposited in his personal bank account and used for his own personal use," the ACC said.
The ACC asked the PGO to the former with money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act.
The ACC has also ordered the MMPRC to recover MVR 1 million owed to the state.
